Madrid, 4 August 2015 – Access Info Europe, along with the other members of the Transparency, Accountability and Participation Network, have welcomed the inclusion of specific references to open data, transparency and participation in the outcome document summarising the Third International Conference on Financing for Development. The organisations had previously written to all UN delegations on 9 April 2015 with suggestions for drafting the document that sought to strengthen the commitments on transparency and openness, some of which were taken on board.
However, the organisations lamented the fact that the commiments on transparency or open data were not substantiated by concrete, measurable actions, and there was no commitment to improve transparency, accountability and participation when it came to the financing of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals include, in Goal 16, a commitment to foster peaceful, inclusive and just societies, and they also refer to the need to ensure good governance and effective rule of law at all levels. The Goals also highlight the need to ensure transparency and participation of all people and stakeholders in the follow-up and review of the new post-2015 Development agenda.
At a press conference held on Monday 3 August, several participants – including Ban Ki-moon, Amina Mohammed and the co-facilitators – highlighted the huge role that civil society had played and should continue to play during the Post-2015 Development negotiations. The Development Goals are expected to be agreed upon by consensus at a UN Summit on 25 – 27 September 2015. They will enter into effect in 2016, thus replacing the Millennium Development Goals.
The members of the TAP Network will continue their advocacy to ensure that Transparency, accountability and participation are key foundational principles of the Post-2015 agenda, and will work to ensure that there is transpareny and participative follow-up and review of the goals and their specific indicators.
To read a copy of our response to the Financing for Development Conference’s outcome see: http://tapnetwork2015.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/TAP-Network-Response-to-FfD3-Outcome-Document.pdf